Category: To be used for Evil

MAKE 04

Make vol4

The latest issue of the tech DIY magazine is soon to be hitting my mail box, if you don’t have a subscription already you can buy from Amazon (and a nice discount I might add). The editor, Mark Frauenfelder has this to say about the latest issue:

The fourth volume of Make magazine, which I edit, is now available on Amazon.
The major projects include an electric cigar box guitar, a kit to take high speed strobe photos (so you can capture a balloon or light bulb in mid-pop), and how to turn kids’ electronic toys into musical instruments. There’s also a guide to a bunch of different kinds of kits (electronic, beer making, robots, etc) and a how-to by Mr. Jalopy on converting a vintage hi-fi cabinet into an LP and CD ripper, burner, and player.
David Pescovitz started a new column for the magazine called Proto, which profiles cool makers in corporate labs around the world, and Cory Doctorow weighs in on the Supreme Court’s unfortunate Grokster decision.
I’m especially excited about the do-it-yourself section with ways to hack your coffee and espresso makers.

I can’t wait to read this!

Buy MAKE 04 from Amazon here
MAKE site
[spotted over at BoingBoing]

IC-chip Posters

Whee! Just what the world needs, a poster that transmits info to your cell phone when you get near it.

Dainippon Printing is updating the IC-chip based transmitter they’d developed for use in advertising posters to make it compatible with the FeliCa chips that now have a home in some 5 mn pockets thanks to their inclusion in DoCoMo cellphones. The idea is simple: swiping your phone near the poster gets you access to some kind of more detailed content, special-offer tokens, etc.

Dainippon Printing’s IC-chip posters

Backpack Bar

Backpack Bar

This was allways something that I joked with my friends about building but never did it. I guess someone else had the same idea and actualy constructed one…

The backpack portable bar is an extremely portable CO2 powered alcohol and soda delivery system in the form of a self-contained backpack bar. The portable bar will dispense 2 types of soda (a total of 5 liters) and 4 types of alcohol (a total of 4 pints). Equipped with a standard bar dispensing nozzle that attaches to the server’s arm, a full range of drinks can be served.

It’s for sale if you want one of your very own.

Backpack Bar

Travel Tinker Trouble Kit

TTTk

Fancy yourself a bit of a MacGyver? With this you might be a bit closer if you make one of these.
This little unassuming Altoids tin holds the following:

  • A small Swiss Army Knife with the plastic removed to save space (the usual tools, knives, screw drivers, scissors, files, ect…)
  • The tiny ball point pen from the above knife, used to sit in the side cover but was inefficient there.
    Mini Sharpie marker.
  • Lock Picking Set, Tension Wrench, Rake, Diamond Pick.
  • LED light, from an old headlamp.
  • Folded piece of sand paper.
  • Paper clips.
  • Rubber bands.
  • Zip ties.
  • Dental Floss.
  • Strike anywhere matches.
  • Pills, sleeping, Clariton, Decongestant.

Not the sort of think you want to try explaining to the TSA guy when your trying to board your next flight, but then again if it will save your bacon in a tight spot you might want to stow this gem in you checked luggage. For years I kept a tiny (3″x”3″x1-/2″) first aid kit that had all sorts of ‘extra’ stuff in it with me and I can’t tell you how many time that came in handy. I think I need a new one… And some curiously strong mints.

[via MAKEzine]
Escape My Head: TTTk, Travel Tinker Trouble Kit

The High Altitude Slug Project

The High Altitude Slug Project

No, this isn’t some banana slug snuff project, the slug this uses is the Linksys NSLU2 wireless USB storage device. After a little firmware hacking you can convert your ‘Slug’ into a web server, streaming MP3 server, or eve a VoIP PBX!
Not to be outdone by others, these guys are planning on sending theirs up in a tiny R/C airplane attached to a weather balloon. The plan is to release it at 100,000 feet and have it fly home. On it’s way down the craft will take photos and make temperature and barometric readings. All this will be run by the 266MHz XScale computer in the NSLU2. Pretty darn impressive for a simple wireless USB port!

The High Altitude Slug Project

Marines in Spaaaaaace!

Sounds cool, Marines thundering out of the sky in their drop ships on any point on the planet in two hours, ready to fight for cross and country. However, if you think about it for a while you will realize that this sort of thing is like highly refined political pork. The high test stuff that senators dream about. Anyway, unless there are major advancements in areospace in the next few years this will not make it off the drawing board.

Defense Tech: Marines in Spaaaaaace!